TYPES OF PELVES and their relevance in obstetric training

One of the primary benefits of being able to train with models whose skulls adequately represent those of the fetus in utero is the opportunity to attempt different types of birth scenarios without endangering either mother or child. With regards to the mother, there are four main types of pelvis (below, from left to right) the gynaecoid, anthropoid, android and platypelloid. The directional lines in the diagrams indicate potential difficulties encountered in the delivery of the fetal head, due to shape and size of the passage through the birth canal. ➡

IMAGE | drawings by Stef Lenk, drawn from Hanretty, 2010